Texas A&M’s Joeckel reveals his NFL idol

INDIANAPOLIS – Luke Joeckel didn’t hesitate when asked who his NFL idol was while he was in high school in Arlington and starring at left tackle for Texas A&M.

“I watched Joe Thomas,” Joeckel said of the six-time Pro Bowl left tackle for the Cleveland Browns.

“He’s definitely the guy I loved to watch. I love the way he plays. I don’t know about his weight room numbers and stuff like that, but he’s just one of those guys that looks like he’s got that brute strength, lumberjack strength, and I kind of pride myself on that too.”

The Browns drafted Thomas (6 foot 7, 311 pounds) third overall out of Wisconsin in 2007. Joeckel (6-6, 306 pounds) is expected to be a top-10 pick in April and could even wind up being selected No. 1 overall by Kansas City.

“(Thomas) is a guy who doesn’t get pushed around too much and a great pass blocker,” Joeckel said. “He plays hard, plays to the whistle. That’s the guy I watched in high school.”